Students Present Culminating Research at Annual Academic Forum

Each spring, Curry College students present their scholarly work to the community at the annual Academic Forum. Crafted with passion and purpose while guided by caring and committed faculty, the student-led projects range across all majors and stages in the iterative process of discovery and inquiry.

View the 2023 Academic Forum Photos

This year’s Academic Forum featured nearly 40 presentations across a wide range of topics, from “The Effect of Music Therapy in Mechanically Ventilated Patients” by Accelerated Entry Master of Science in Nursing student Raju Buchan, to “The Effect of Professional Sports on City Crime Rates” by Sport and Recreation Management senior Helena Stamatakis.

In the Education field, Early Education and Care first-year student Nicole Schindler’s project, “What Would You Do Without Your Hair?” explored the complications of wig costs for cancer patients. "I chose this topic because hair loss has affected me from cancer and I know how many people feel when the hair does not grow back," she said. "I have made it my mission to change that." Deemed as a cosmetic expense, Nicole polled observers who visited her table as to whether insurance companies should cover those costs to make patients feel more comfortable.

Over half of the culminating research projects were presented by Curry students in the sciences, including senior Biology major Erin Cullinane’s topic, “Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) for Patients with Neurodegenerative Conditions.” Her research explored how DMT can be used as a way to help further the emotional and cognitive functions of an individual with neurodegenerative diseases. Cullinane found that, “DMT helps patients gain their sense of joy back and start enjoying their life more. It was found that through dance classes like the tango or waltz and music from the 1920s to 1930s helped with coordination and emotional interactions that dance stimulates.”

Cullinane, who aspires to become a Geneticist to help identify genes that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases and beyond, will attend Boston University this fall in the Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program.